


know we'll be alright this time

by cinderlily



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Future Fic, Post Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-30 07:06:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10156982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderlily/pseuds/cinderlily
Summary: Lucas surprises Riley for her graduation.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo I watched the finale and had a lot of feelings. This is where they went.

Lucas was tired. Actually, that was putting it pretty lightly. He’d learned in the last few years not to misuse the term exhausted, because there was a difference between staying up late to play games online with Zeke and literally pulling an all nighter at a pet hospital, on your feet running back and forth. But he was teetering towards the second one. 

He’d been up at three to get to a plane to bring him across the country and had found out the joy of an ‘unscheduled’ visit to Chicago due to technical difficulties. He’d been supposed to land in New York and been able to arrive before four o’clock. Instead he was stumbling into Topanga’s just before closing at ten at night. 

The look, though, on Riley’s face when she caught his eye from behind the counter was pretty much the best thing he’d seen in recent memory and made the day wash away. She hopped over the counter and ran across the room, leaving him just enough time to drop his stuff beside him before she leapt on him. 

“LUCAS! LUCAS! YOU’RE HERE. YOU’RE HERE!” she pulled back and tilted her head to the side. “Wait, why are you here?” 

He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Well, I heard a rumor someone here was about to graduate and I thought I might come and surprise her.” 

She moved fast to go back into the hug, squeezing him so tight he let go of his arms and marveled at how strong but tiny she was. He’d forgotten the feeling of her, it had been well over too long since they’d seen each other last. She made squeeing noises in his ears before finally letting him go and getting back to the floor. 

“You came for my graduation,” she grinned and then put a finger up. “MAYAAAAA!” 

From the back Maya came running out, a flush on her face that was easily explained by Josh following her out. “WHAT?” 

“LOOK! A LUCAS!” 

Maya rolled her eyes, but half waved. “Hey Ranger Rick, I didn’t know you would be blowing across the plains today.” 

“I missed you too, Maya,” he laughed and she came over to give him a hug, quickly ruffling his already ruffled hair. “Thanks.” 

“Yo,” Josh jerked his head up once. “You in town for the whole graduation thing?” 

He nodded. “Was thinking I would surprise her.” 

“I was surprised,” Riley grinned. 

“I could tell,” he smiled back at her. “All your classes done?” 

She sighed, pointing to the laptop on the counter. “Yes. Now I just have to patiently wait for the grades to be posted.” 

“Patiently?” Maya scoffed. 

“Excuse me, I have been nothing but …” 

Josh looked at the computer. “Hey, look, it refreshed.” 

She screamed and ran back towards the counter, jumping onto a chair and turning the computer. She looked up and down at the screen and bit her lower lip. “It didn’t… JOSH!” 

Josh, who was laughing behind his hand, was not fully braced for his niece’s body going over the counter but Lucas was. He just wished he had popcorn, to be honest. Instead Maya went running and broke her friend away with her hands. 

“Riles, Riley, Riley, don’t kill Josh,” she said. “Remember? Sort of kind of sister in law?” 

“Wait, what?” Lucas paused. 

Maya looked over. “It’s easier to explain and far less creepy than ‘Aunt’.” 

“You’re getting married?”

Maya shrugged. “Eventually.” 

“Maya,” Josh looked at her. “You’re 22, are you sure you want to…”

“Long game, Matthews, and I can still let her go,” she rolled her eyes. 

Over Maya’s head Josh mouthed, ‘Totally marrying her.’ 

Lucas’s stomach went weird. He’d been away for a few years and sometimes he forgot that things moved without him. He still talked to people, online and on the phone. He and Farkle had a pretty epic chat on his phone and of course they had their group chat that had been going for years but still. 

He forgot sometimes just how much he missed. 

Riley, who’d given up the fight and was now just kind of slumped against Maya, looked up at the clock and frowned. “Closing time.” 

“Well, let me tell our customer,” Maya smiled and looked directly at Lucas. “You’re going to have to leave.” 

She received a light smack from Riley for her troubles and then Riley turned to Lucas. “Can you lock the door and move the sign?” 

He nodded and turned around to do so. It wasn’t even that weird of a thing. All of them had rotated through working there in high school. He’d liked working there so much he’d thought about business school but then realized that it was more this specific place that he liked and not the actual job. He loved the people of the neighborhood. He loved goofing off while behind the counter. It was all just a backdrop to his life. Still closing up was like second nature. He started over to the side of counter to check the tables and put the chairs up. 

Riley was at his side before he knew it. “You’re not on the clock, Friar.” 

“Eh, it might mean I get time to hang with you more,” he said, picking up a chair and placing it on the table it belonged with. She was blushing and he wondered what he’d done to earn that. 

“Okay,” she said, taking the chair at the table next to it to put up. “So how is life in Arizona?” 

He shrugged. “Good. I… I’m almost done you know .” 

“Oh she knows,” Josh said from across the room. “We all know.” 

“Josh, I will tell the troll story,” she snapped and then gave Lucas a smile. “You just have a couple more classes, right?” 

Maya interrupted them. “Troll story, what’s the troll story? RILEY I WANT TO KNOW THE TROLL STORY.” 

He looked over to see Josh kissing Maya, which apparently looked pretty effective. He wondered if it would last. “Yeah, just a few summer courses and then I’m off to grad school.” 

“Grad school?” 

It wasn’t entirely when or how he was going to tell her, but he figured that he didn’t need to plan out everything in his life. “Yeah. I start in the fall.” 

“Where? Vet school? Puppies and kitties?” she said, her voice not going high pitched or dreamy in high school but still in that way that he could tell she was holding it back. 

“With the puppies and the kitties,” he said. “And the Riley and the Maya and the Josh, apparently…” 

Her eyes went bright. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean,” he said, smiling. “I got into NYU for a Master’s in Veterinary Medicine.” 

He was smart enough to brace himself, feeling the impact imminent. At least this time she kept her feet on the ground. “LUCAS! You’re coming home.” 

And even though he’d only really lived in New York for about six years, he really felt the word home like smack to the chest. Texas would always be where he was from, but New York was where he became himself. “Yup, you think you’ll be okay with me being around again?” 

“Are you kidding me?” she hit him. “Four years is too long. When do you move back? Is Zeke coming back? Do you know where you’re going to live? Wait, do you know where you’re staying tonight?” 

He blinked and tried to remember all the questions. “I move back after the first summer session. Zeke is thinking about it. I am probably going to stay with my parents for the first year or so and I have no idea. Probably at my parent’s?” 

“Nu-uh,” she shook her head. “We have a great pull out couch. I want to absorb this awesomeness.”

“She nasty,” Maya said, and he whipped his head around. Maya and Josh were standing maybe five feet from them. 

Riley made a disgruntled noise. “ _Maya Hart-Hunter_.” 

“Yes mother?” 

“Don’t be crude…” 

Josh frowned. “And here we were coming over to tell you we’ll finish up if you wanted to go and uh… talk.” 

“Yes, uh… talk.” 

Riley bit her lip. “I promised mom I’d take care of things while her and Dad were on vacation.” 

“Things taken care of,” Josh said. “By genuine adults. Go.” 

Maya handed Riley her bag and laptop. “See you at home, later. Maybe tomorrow.” 

Lucas was kind of confused but that was nothing new with this crew. He went and grabbed his bag though, because the sleepiness was starting to creep back up and if he was going to crash out on her couch he was more than willing to get there sooner than later. Plus it would get him away from the weird looks he was getting from the other two. 

“Riley?” he asked and she turned to him and smiled softly. “Ready to go?” 

“Sure.” 

* 

Riley and Maya’s apartment was small and cramped but surprisingly nice for two college kids in New York. Lucas could see the two of them in every nook and cranny, and was unsurprised to find a considerably smaller window seat in the kitchen that was highly decorated. He put his stuff down by the TV and walked around as Riley gave a ‘tour’ that basically amounted to pointing. 

“Be it ever so humble,” she said, at the end. 

He smiled at her and took a seat on the couch he would later be sleeping on. “It’s so bright and colorful. Zeke and I live in like the most boring apartment on earth compared to this.” 

“We got bored a week in and stayed up all night painting,” Riley said, sitting next to him. She sat facing him, her knees up and her toes pushed under her leg. “Thankfully we have an in with our landlord.” 

He raised his eyebrows at her. 

“Farkle. Well, technically his dad, but we work through Farkle,” she said. “We had to talk him into charging us rent. He said that we didn’t _have_ to, because he promised to take care of us. But you know, a six year old’s promise doesn’t extend to apartments, right?” 

He laughed. “To Farkle it does.” 

“It really does,” Riley blushed a little. “I am half sure he has a savings account where all of our rent is being held for us when we move out. But I’ll be honest, I’m not complaining. Rent here is _CRAZY_. We only pay a thousand a month to have this place. It’s like a miracle.” 

“Dude, that’s what Zeke and I pay in _Tempe_. I mean, our apartment is a little larger, but wow.” 

“Josh has four roommates and pays eight hundred,” she said. 

His eyes went wide. “Wow… speaking of Josh. He and Maya are serious, aren’t they?” 

Riley beamed. “Yeah. I give it two years max before he proposes. He talks a big game but he is so gone for her. I caught them in the back talking and he called her ‘My Maya’ and she _giggled_.” 

“I can not picture that,” he said, honestly. “But I’m glad. They waited a long time.” 

“You’re telling me. I had to listen to her for _ever_ , it was the worst,” she sighed. “Though she put up with my pining for you so, you know, all’s fair.” 

He felt himself blush. “You pined for me?” 

Her eyes went wide and she went bright red. “Did I say pine? I didn’t mean that. I was thinking of Chris Pine. Wait… that doesn’t even… Ugh. Whatever. _Yes_. There may have been some pining. Or a lot it. You were my first. _Pining_.” 

“You were mine,” he said. “It feels like forever ago.” 

“It does, doesn’t it? And I’m going to be a teacher. I mean, my kids will be like seven not middle school… but circle of life.” 

He beamed. “You were meant for it. You’re going to be like Ms. Frizzle but better.” 

“That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me,” she said and tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear. “I won’t lie, I’m so nervous.” 

“You’ll be amazing Riley,” he said. “Those kids don’t know what they have coming to them.” 

Riley’s head popped up from where it had been lying against the sofa’s back. “My computer!” 

“Is right there?” he pointed at where he could see the slim silver peaking out of her bag. 

She got off the couch and jumped towards it. “I have to check. I NEED to check.” 

“Ooookay,” Lucas said. “Why the hell would they update at 11 at night?” 

“They have to have the scores up by midnight,” she said, sitting back down beside him and opening the screen. “Frazzle. Still?” 

“Nothing?” he mused and she leaned to put her head on his shoulder, showing him the blank page. He looked at the top corner of the screen. “Well, you have 48 minutes.” 

She groaned. “I’m going to scream. Who takes this long?” 

“If there isn’t a big fat A on that screen I will… I don’t know… Kiss Josh.” 

She started to laugh. “I think Maya might have a problem with that.” 

“Well, I’ll do it. I’ll dip him and everything,” he said. She refreshed the page again. Not surprisingly it was still blank. “Okay, we aren’t doing this for the next hour. You’re going to go crazy.” 

“Too late,” she mused, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. It was familiar in a way he hadn’t actually planned on. He leant his head on top of hers and took her computer away from her. She grabbed at it desperately and he moved himself away just far enough that he could open iTunes and grab a random mix from the side and start it up. 

“What are you doing?” 

An old Justin Timberlake song came on and he smiled. “What am _I_ doing? Well. I’m dancing with _you_.” 

He stood up and gently put the laptop on the coffee table. Riley made a motion to grab at it but instead he grabbed her hand and pulled her up. He was so tired he could feel it in his bones but it didn’t matter, as soon as he started moving and saw Riley give in with a smile it ebbed enough to keep him moving. 

They started jumping around the space with abandon, half silly throw backs to high school dances and half serious dancing. Not that he’d gotten that much better in the intervening years but at least he’d left behind the no touching thing. He grabbed her hands and twirled her around, pulling her into a dip. She was laughing and he laughed to. 

A few songs played in the list, fast paced and hyper. They hadn’t turned it up too loud, but as Riley wasn’t too concerned with the sound level he wasn’t either. He felt his adrenaline kick in and he and her were kicking back and forth like they were at the lamest club on the planet. He loved it. Zeke was many good things as a roommate but random dance partner was not one of them. 

And he couldn't remember a girl he’d dated in college who would be down for this. He blamed it on being in a ‘serious’ science program (most girls he dated were premed) but it didn’t matter. He’d missed the feeling of free silliness that he just automatically associated with this girl. Woman. Whatever. With Riley. 

Her computer made a loud DING and she stopped mid hop, her face going pale. He took her hand and they sat on the ground next to the coffee table. The screen had gone dark so she clicked the space bar before inputting a password. The ding had been her email, she clicked the icon and there was a message from her school stating that the grades had been posted. 

“You ready?” he asked. 

She slipped a hand into his and squeezed. “I guess.” 

She took her time going to the back to the webpage and when she hit it she paused before she refreshed it. 

“Come on, I need to know if I’m kissing Josh, I need to find my chapstick. And a bulletproof vest for Maya.” 

She giggled and hit refresh. 

**Riley Matthews: Spring Semester**

_Student teaching_ : **A**  
_Developmental Psych_ : **A**

If the dancing hadn’t bothered her neighbors, the squealing that exited her mouth would probably have gotten her entire building and/or neighborhood. He wasn’t surprised at all, he knew her dedication and her output. He’d seen her studying for tests in high school. 

Still, the way her body relaxed against his and the feeling of their fingers still intertwined made his stomach jump slightly. They’d long since made it past the awkward ‘we dated’ phase, but this was brand new. Everywhere their skin touched he swore felt like it was tingling. He turned to look at her and she was looking up at him with a weird half smile. She looked like… maybe she might. 

“Riley, can I…?” 

Her lips answered his question before he could finish it. She pressed them against his and put her hand on his cheek. When she pulled back she was smiling and the tips of her cheeks were slightly red. “You kissed the wrong Matthews.” 

He let out a huff of air that might have been a laugh had he been able to catch his breath. “I most definitely kissed the right Matthews.” 

He leaned down and kissed her, soft lips meeting his chapped ones. He was not prepared for the wave of relief to shake through him. Like he’d been waiting for this moment the whole time without really meaning to. Weirdly, she tasted familiar, her chapstick the same even after all the years since they’d last kissed. He wanted nothing more than to lick at it but that was kind of moving fast, who knew what she was thinking and he wasn’t the type to just assume. 

She hummed into his lips and then pulled back. “Okay, Friar, time for bed.” 

His eyes widened. THAT was faster than he was prepared for. “Uh, um…” 

“Oh gosh,” she laughed, covering her mouth. “Not like _that_. I mean, you’ve been traveling and I’ve been anxious and… bed. For sleep.” 

“Okay,” he smiled, truly okay with that, even if he did kind of want to kiss her for a while more. He rubbed his hands together. “Help me move the coffee table?” 

Riley tilted her head, stood up and gave him a sly half smile with an offered hand. “You saving my virtue, Friar?” 

“Maybe,” he said, feeling his face flush, embarrassingly enough. “You told me I’d sleep on the couch. No hanky-panky…” 

“Hanky-panky?” she made a face. “You may never ever say things that make me think my dad would say them ever again.” 

He took her hand and stood up with her. “Promise.” 

“Let’s go,” she said. 

He grabbed his bag and followed behind her, watching her hair bob and realizing that in that very moment he was happier than he’d been in years. Not that he hadn’t appreciated his time at ASU but the truth was he’d always known where he belonged. And where he belonged was following this girl anywhere.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my wife for the beta. 
> 
> Also, based halfway on this song and the title is from it as well: 
> 
> "Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet  
> Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me  
> 'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love  
> Not knowing what it was  
> I will not give you up this time  
> But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own  
> And in your eyes, you're holding mine"  
> Ed Sheeran - Perfect  
> (Go find a way to listen to his new album, it's amazing.)


End file.
